Distribution of dental caries in an early 17th century swedish population with special reference to diet

Abstract

The distribution of dental caries was determined in complete and partial human dentitions from a 17th century (1621–1640) city graveyard excavated in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sixty‐three adults and two children, divided into five different age groups, were studied. Altogether 949 teeth (943 permanent and six deciduous) were examined macroscopically using a dental probe and X‐rays. A high number of teeth had been lost post‐mortem. An increase in ante‐mortem tooth loss was found with increasing age. Sixty per cent of all individuals and 12% of all teeth showed signs of caries. The number of carious teeth per subject increased with increasing age. The highest prevalence of individuals with caries was found for the age group 26–35 (69%). Caries were most prevalent in the first, second and third lower molars (60%), while the incisors and canines in the upper and lower jaws were the least affected teeth (1%). The occlusal surface was the area most susceptible to caries (45%), followed by the buccal cemento–enamel junction (16%) and the approximal contact point (11%). This study shows that, although consuming a diet believed to have been lower in sugar content compared to modern populations, caries did affect a rather high number of individuals living in Sweden during the early 17th century. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Caries Through Time: An Anthropological Overview

“…There is a gradual reduction in cervical-approximal caries (CEJ caries 11 ) that was more common during the Antique Age, and an increase of occlusal, buccal, and lingual lesions, that have occurred since earlier ages. These data suggest that infantile diet became softer until the final of Middle Age (Lingström & Borrman, 1999;Moore, 1993;Moore & Corbett, 1975;Varrela, 1991;Vodanovic et al, 2005;Watt et al, 1997).…”

A Case of Mandibular Tumour in a Skull from an Early Modern Cemetery in Wroclaw, Poland

“…942 we revealed carious lesions, atrophic changes in the alveolar process, and calculus. Our findings may, according to many authors, indicate poor oral hygiene, but also the intake of highly-processed foods, rich in carbohydrates, characteristic in the late medieval period and Early Modern times of various social groups from urban areas of an economic status higher than the average [11, [36][37][38][39]. However, some studies, like the one carried out on a Scandinavian population, failed to demonstrate statistically significant differences in the incidence of caries in relation to social and economic status [40].…”

Étude radiologique et macroscopique des lésions périapicales corrélées aux lésions dentaires dans une population médiévale du sud de la France (Vilarnau, xii e–xiv e siècle)

“…Un diagnostic différentiel avec l'ensemble des sillons profonds et des décalcifications mineures de l'émail a été effectué pour ne pas introduire de biais dans nos résultats [8].…”

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